{"id":4646,"date":"2023-01-06T09:00:18","date_gmt":"2023-01-06T09:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crosscountiestraining.co.uk\/?p=4646"},"modified":"2022-12-23T09:58:16","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T09:58:16","slug":"5-reasons-to-do-dry-january","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/5-reasons-to-do-dry-january\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons to do Dry January"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is Dry January and why should I do it? <\/strong><\/h3>\n

The idea of not drinking in January originated in 1942 when the Finnish government launched a \u201cSober January\u201d campaign.\u00a0 In 2013 Alcohol Change UK trademarked the name and \u201cDry January\u201d was launched and has become very popular as the years go on.<\/p>\n

There are many reasons people choose not to drink for the first 31 days of January which vary from detoxing their bodies, saving money, or testing their willpower, but are there real benefits?<\/p>\n

Research by the Royal Free Hospital published in the British Medical Journal concluded that dry January has a lot of benefits.\u00a0 These include lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and reducing the risk of diabetes and levels of cancer-related proteins in the blood.\u00a0 This in addition to possible weight loss and improved moods seems like a no-brainer.\u00a0 However, health experts warn that it really needs to be sustained over longer periods to have a real impact and people need to change their drinking patterns and not overindulge in \u201cWet February\u201d.<\/p>\n

So, what are some of the other health benefits you will see if you do dry January?<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Improved mood<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You may think that sipping a glass of wine is relaxing and makes your mood improve.\u00a0 However, if you are relying on alcohol as a main coping strategy, you will find that in the long term it may hide other issues like depression or anxiety.\u00a0 You might find that not drinking can stabilise your mood better and will leave you in less of an emotional downer in the morning.<\/p>\n

If you are concerned about a possible Mental Health issue, taking a step away from alcohol can help you to get some clarity and to determine if you need to maybe speak to a doctor or get some therapy to help you cope further.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Better Sleep <\/strong><\/h3>\n

After a night of drinking out with friends, you might find that your sleep is disturbed as alcohol interferes with chemicals in our body which help us relax and sleep.\u00a0 It can also affect your REM sleep making you wake up feeling groggy in the morning.\u00a0 By participating in a dry January, you might find that you get better sleep and have more energy to focus on your new year\u2019s resolutions.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Potential weight loss <\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you were drinking a lot, you could even lose a few pounds by not drinking in January.\u00a0 Alcoholic beverages often contain high amounts of calories or make you feel bloated, and they also come with bad habits like eating junk food after a night out.\u00a0 Changing these habits to healthier food and drink options will give your body a break and help you to potentially lose weight and create new habits going forward.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 Save money <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Drinking out can be costly and if you have been buying fancy cocktails and binging on junk food after partying then the bills can add up quickly. According to Alcohol Change UK, 86% of people who do Dry January end up saving money.\u00a0 \u00a0This doesn\u2019t mean you don\u2019t socialise in January; it simply means maybe ordering a nice healthy cocktail, without the alcohol, you will still feel like you are having fun, but for half the price.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 Get things done<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When you wake up hungover you tend to be less productive and often sleep the day away.\u00a0 By not drinking alcohol you can wake up feeling invigorated and ready to tackle the tasks for the day.\u00a0 If you have New Year\u2019s resolutions you will feel like you are in a better head space to achieve them, especially if some of them are exercise orientated.\u00a0 This sense of pride in achieving your goals or getting things done will not only make you feel more productive but will also give you better control over your Mental Health and positivity for the new year.<\/p>\n

How to have a successful Dry January? <\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the best ways to have a successful dry January is to recruit your partner or a friend.\u00a0 Doing it together can help to keep you on track and make you more accountable.\u00a0 Another great way to achieve your goal is to change your routine or start something new.\u00a0 So, for example, instead of going for drinks after work, maybe go for a run or join an exercise class with friends.\u00a0 Not only will you have a surge in energy, but you will also feel more positive about yourself.<\/p>\n

Participating in Dry January doesn\u2019t mean you have to stay at home and not socialise or have fun.\u00a0 Just look for some different drink alternatives, like mocktails, sparkling water in a wine glass or fruit-infused drinks so that you feel part of the action.<\/p>\n

If the pub creates too much of a temptation, look for other healthier ways to meet your friends, like doing an escape room, going to the movies or night golf.\u00a0 These activities will still enable you to socialise but without the temptation of alcohol.<\/p>\n

Sign up<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you think you are up for the challenge sign up for Dry January on\u00a0Alcohol Change UK<\/a>,\u00a0download their App and you will get access to their tools and resources to help make you succeed.<\/p>\n

If you believe you or a family member needs some help Drinkline is the national alcohol helpline.\u00a0 They can be contacted if you are worried about your own or someone else\u2019s drinking and the calls to the helpline are free on 0300 123 1110<\/a> (weekdays 9am to 8pm and weekends from 11am to 4pm.)<\/p>\n

Lastly, if you would like to talk to us about Mental Health training in the workplace courses across the UK, please call us on\u00a001276 586943<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0email<\/a>\u00a0us at\u00a0admin@crosscountiestraining.co.uk<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for hassle-free bookings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is Dry January and why should I do it? The idea of not drinking in January originated in 1942 when the Finnish government launched a \u201cSober January\u201d campaign.\u00a0 In 2013 Alcohol Change UK trademarked the name and \u201cDry January\u201d was launched and has become very popular as the years go on. There are many […]\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4647,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Dry-January.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4646"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4646"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4646\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4648,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4646\/revisions\/4648"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}